Hometown Bearcat Doug Bates Embraces Change

Despite having a time in his life when he wondered if he’d ever be the big enough to play for the Cincinnati Bearcats, redshirt freshman and Hometown Bearcat Doug Bates has seen his journey from Moeller High School, to college football player take several different twists and turns.

Recruited as a tight end out of Moeller, Bates first had to embrace delaying the start of his college career before having to embrace a change in the Bearcats coaching staff with the hiring of Luke Fickell. If that wasn’t enough, Bates soon had to embrace a change in the position he’d play going from pass catching and blocking tight end, to straight out run blocker and quarterback protector as an offensive lineman.

The legacy Bearcat spoke with Bearcat Insider following a recent practice to discuss his long journey to finally being able to wear the C-paw on the turf of Nippert Stadium as a member of Bearcats.